Any tips for checking in around midnight?

[trampslady]

I fear that our room selection will be nill as we will be driving straight through from Dallas on November 22. We should arrive between 11pm and midnight. We will be staying at POR and we've requested an Alligator Bayou room. Any suggestions or feedback much appreciated!!

 

[Joan S.]

Hi, just to let you know I got my BEST ROOM UPGRADE ever when checking in after midnite! We had driven from RI and had an awful time coming thru construction when we FINALLY got into Florida,I was driving and it was TERRIBLE! Anyway I was so HAPPY to drive into the POLY and just a little disappointed that all was SO desserted at check-in.Well anyway I had requested 1st floor ,we were in Hawaii-Concierge Garden View. So when the cm said we were on the 2nd floor, I mentioned I had wanted 1st but he said sorry nothing left! Well when we got to our room it was Lagoon View CASTLE straight ahead! I could not believe it! We LOVED our room and our stay! In fact we are planning on returning to the POLY in Feb. and we will probably arrive late pm again (if SWA EVER releases the flights!),and I am hoping for a little more PIXIE DUST at check-in!! Joan

 

[trampslady]

Thanks, Joan. I know it's always the luck of the draw anyway. We'll just hope for the best!!

 

[TheIncredibles]

Depending on your rate & package, I wonder if it would save some money bunking at an offsite motel and then drive over first thing in the morning.

We usually fly, and when the flight is late we stay close to the airport and start our vacation the following day (including activating park hopper passes, etc.). Saved us a couple hundred...

 

[trampslady]

We thought about staying offsite (actually this trip just keeps growing and getting bigger). However, I get an airline employee rate of about $80.00 for the POR, and I doubt we'd pay too terribly much less on the road!

 

[Susiesnowflake]

When we've arrived midnight or later, I've called the resort directly to let them know (didn't want them to think we weren't coming and give our room away!). At the same time, I confirmed our room requests. We've been lucky both times and got them.

 

[LiteBrite]

If you don't like the room you get that first night, you could always just treat it the same way you would have if you'd stayed offsite the first night. Just don't unpack much, and ask to be moved to a better room the next day. Actually, it could be even easier than if you stayed offsite, since you can have bell services do the moving for you!

 

[trampslady]

Great suggestions guys! I'll definitely call to confirm--I better write down the resorts telephone number. And, if all else fails, we will indeed move the following morning.

 

[PFopma]

We were delayed 12 hours by a snow storm once and called the CSR to let them know. I didn't confirm my request for a specific building and when we arrived we were put in a building that was unexceptable to us because there was nothing else available. We stayed that night but asked to be moved and the next day. We went off to Epcot and when we returned we went to our new location. We left our luggage in the room and it was moved for us. We finally got to unpack that night!

Pat

 

[SqueakyMouse]

We checked into POP around 1 am back in July and had the best room location we've ever had!! We were given a King in an extremely convenient preferred location -- we made no special requests prior to our trip and did not pay extra for our location. Our view of the pool was fantastic, and our 3rd floor location near the elevator was convenient and quiet. These rooms are generally pre-assigned so I don't think check-in time really makes that much difference.

 

[SB in KY]

Arriving late is kind of a gamble...it is when most of the best upgrades are given, but if you don't get upgraded you may get the room no one else wanted....we were about 50:50 on our last few late arrivals....good news is, like other posters have stated....if you don't like the room you can be at the desk bright and early the next AM to get reassigned and you didn't have to bother unpacking at midnight!! (We got a complimentary upgrade from a standard room (booked on an AP discount no less) to a jr suite once at CSR with a late arrival....liked it so much that I booked one the next time we stayed there....again a late arrival, and this time they had had a water pipe burst or something, so no suites available and they gave us 2 connecting rooms and comped us the stay!!(and as the mother of 2 teenage DD's, having 2 bathrooms was heaven on earth!!) Another time we had a late arrival at the CR with a standard wing room booked for 1 night only (moving resorts the next day) and were upgraded to a junior suite also. However we were not so lucky at the Beach Club and AKL....got tiny rooms in obscure locations that were so far from the lobby we felt like we hiked farther to our room from the bus stop than we did to get around World Showcase!!

You win some and you lose some I guess....since I am not a gambler at heart I now just show up early to check in and get what I requested/booked in the first place!!